onkar627/MentalHealth huggingface dataset:
Question: What is schizoid personality disorder?
Answer: A personality disorder is a pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that last for a long time and causes some sort of problem or distress. 
 Schizoid personality disorder or SPD affects social interactions and relationships. People with SPD may have a hard time relating to others and showing emotions. They may avoid close relationships and prefer to spend their time alone, seeming distant even to close family members. Many people don’t respond to strong emotions like anger, even when others try to provoke them. On the outside, people with SPD may seem cold or aloof, showing little emotion. 
 While they have a similar name, schizoid personality disorder isn’t the same as schizophrenia. 
 Schizoid personality disorder is believed to be relatively uncommon. While some people with SPD may see it as part of who they are, other people may feel a lot of distress, especially around social interactions. Some medications may help people manage symptoms and psychotherapy may help people build new skills and improve relationships. 
 To find help for schizoid personality disorder, talk to your family doctor, find a psychologist through the BC Psychological Association, or call 811 to talk to a HealthLink BC navigator.
Question: What is antisocial personality disorder?
Answer: A personality disorder is a pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that last for a long time and causes some sort of problem or distress. 
 Antisocial personality disorder or ASPD affects the way people think about the rights of others. Someone with ASPD may disregard laws or expectations, lack remorse when they hurt others or break the law, make reckless decisions, and believe they are superior to others. People may see someone with ASPD as overly dramatic, impulsive, manipulative, and deceitful. Some people may appear charming, at least on the surface. Like all mental illnesses, antisocial personality disorder is a spectrum. Some people may only occasionally act out, while others may break the law often and spend a lot of time in the criminal justice system. 
 ASPD is only diagnosed in adults, but people with ASPD start to have problems with conduct or antisocial behaviours at a young age. They may be diagnosed with conduct disorder during childhood. 
 Treatment for antisocial personality disorder, usually psychotherapy, can help reduce the harms of ASPD and help people build empathy towards others. ASPD is treatable and it may improve as a person approaches middle age. 
 All of us have hurt someone else or acted without thinking of others' needed. It’s important to remember that antisocial personality disorder is an enduring pattern around lack of empathy and lack of remorse. Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose illnesses like ASPD. 
 To find help for antisocial personality disorder, talk to your family doctor, find a psychologist through the BC Psychological Association, or call 811 to talk to a HealthLink BC navigator.
Question: What is obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?
Answer: A personality disorder is a pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that last for a long time and causes some sort of problem or distress. 
 Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder or OCPD is about control. People with OCPD have very inflexible thinking and expect everything to be ordered, perfect, and done their "correct" way. This happens at the expense of other important things in life, including relationships with others. Work can take priority over every other part of life, too, and people with OCPD may seem excessively dedicated, but may be unable to complete tasks due to perfectionism. They may struggle to delegate and may distrust other people’s contributions. People with OCPD may not tolerate uncertainty and may have a very rigid understanding of the world—something is either right or wrong. They may also have a hard time spending money on themselves or others, and they may experience hoarding, the inability to throw away items from their homes. The conflict between the desire for neatness or order and the inability to throw things out may cause a lot of anxiety. 
 While obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have a similar name, they are not the same illness. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder usually understand that their obsessions and compulsions are illogical and usually experience a lot of distress, even though they may not be able to stop obsessions or compulsions. Compulsions are an attempt to reduce anxiety, not to find pleasure. People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder may view their thoughts as part of who they are, see their thoughts as logical, and may find pleasure or benefit in completing compulsive tasks. They may experience a lot of distress when they can’t achieve control or the perfectionism they want. 
 Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is one of the most common personality disorders. Treatment may include some combination of psychotherapy, medication, and self-help strategies. To find help for OCPD, talk to your family doctor, find a psychologist through the BC Psychological Association, or call 811 to talk to a HealthLink BC navigator.
Question: What is binge-eating disorder?
Answer: Binge-eating disorder or BED is a type of eating disorder. It involves episodes of eating a lot of food in a short amount of time, past the point of feeling full, and feelings of being out of control or unable to stop eating. People who experience binge-eating disorder may binge even when they don’t feel hungry. They may feel temporarily comforted by food, and then feel depressed, upset, guilty, or ashamed of their eating. As a result, many people try to keep binge-eating symptoms a secret. You can’t tell if someone experiences binge-eating disorder just from the way they look or the way they eat around others. 
 While a lot of people have the experience of eating too much a few times and feeling uncomfortable after, people who experience binge-eating disorder experience many binges for a long period of time. 
 Binge-eating disorder is treatable. Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional if you think you might have binge-eating disorder.
Question: What’s the difference between dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder) and schizophrenia?
Answer: Sometimes, people confuse dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, and schizophrenia. Schizophrenia does mean “split mind,” but the name was meant to describe the ‘split’ from reality that you experience during an episode of psychosis, as well as changes in thoughts, emotions, and other functions. Dissociative identity disorder, on the other hand, does cause a split or fragmented understanding of a person’s sense of themselves. 
 Dissociative identity disorder is really more about fragmented identities than many different personalities that develop on their own. Most people see different parts of their being as part of the whole person. For people who experience DID, identity fragments may have very different characteristics, including their own history, identity, and mannerisms. A key part of DID is dissociation—feeling detached to the world around you. People who experience DID may have many unexplainable gaps in their memory, forget information they’re already learned, or have difficulties recalling things they’ve said or done. Unlike portrayals of DID on TV or in movies, DID may not be obvious to others, and it can take a lot of time to come to the diagnosis. 
 Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that causes hallucinations (sensations that aren’t real) and delusions (beliefs that can’t possibly be true, in addition to other symptoms like jumbled thoughts, jumbled speech, and difficulties expressing emotions. People who experience schizophrenia may hear or feel things that aren’t real or believe things that can’t be real, but these aren’t separate identities.
Question: What's the difference between psychosis and schizophrenia?
Answer: Psychosis is a syndrome or group of symptoms. Someone experiencing an episode of psychosis is having a ‘break’ with reality. Major symptoms of psychosis are hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are sensations that are not real, such as hearing voices or sounds that aren’t real. Hearing voices is a common hallucination, but hallucinations can be experiences with any sense—hearing, sight, smell, taste, or touch. Delusions are strong beliefs that can’t possibly be true. Common delusions include the belief that someone is following or monitoring you, or the belief that you have extraordinary powers or abilities. Other symptoms of psychosis include difficulties concentrating, completing tasks, or making decisions. Thoughts may feel ‘jumbled’ or confused. Some people have a hard time following conversations or speaking clearly. Psychosis can even affect the way people move or express their emotions. 
 Schizophrenia is a mental illness that causes psychosis, but schizophrenia also has other symptoms. And it isn’t the only cause of psychosis. In some cases, other mental illnesses cause psychosis, including depression, bipolar disorder, dementia and borderline personality disorder. Psychosis may come up during times of extreme stress, a major lack of sleep, or trauma. People who are using or withdrawing from certain drugs or medications may experience psychosis. Psychosis may also be caused by a brain injury, neurological problem, or other health problem. So while psychosis can be a part of schizophrenia, it can be caused by many other things too. 
 Psychosis and schizophrenia are treatable. It’s important to seek help as soon as possible.
Question: What are positive and negative symptoms?
Answer: Positive and negative symptoms are medical terms for two groups of symptoms in schizophrenia. 
 Positive symptoms add. Positive symptoms include hallucinations (sensations that aren’t real), delusions (beliefs that can’t be real), and repetitive movements that are hard to control. 
 Negative symptoms take away. Negative symptoms include the inability to show emotions, apathy, difficulties talking, and withdrawing from social situations and relationships. 
 There is also a third group of symptoms, usually called cognitive symptoms. This includes anything related to thinking, such as disorganized thoughts, memory problems, and difficulties with focus and attention.
Question: What is a prodrome?
Answer: Prodrome is a medical term for early signs or symptoms of an illness or health problem that appear before the major signs or symptoms start. 
 Psychosis, a group of symptoms found in disorders like schizophrenia, is one illness with a specific prodrome. With psychosis, prodrome signs and symptoms start before full symptoms like hallucinations and delusions appear. 
 Common symptoms in the prodrome of psychosis include: 
 These symptoms are found in many other mental illnesses, so it isn’t always clear at the time if this is a prodrome of psychosis or schizophrenia or something else. It’s best to seek help whenever you are concerned about your mental health or a loved one’s mental health. Psychosis and schizophrenia are much easier to manage and treat when treatment starts early.
Question: I’m an adult and I think I might have ADHD. What can I do next?
Answer: While we think of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as an illness that affects children, it can last into adulthood—and some people aren’t diagnosed until much later in life. 
 ADHD is diagnosed like any other mental illness, so your family doctor is a good place to start. Your family doctor may be able to assess your mental health and start treatment, if needed, or they may refer you to more specialized mental health services. 
 There are a few organizations that can help you find good resources and find some support: 
 The Canadian Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Resource Alliance (CADDRA) is an organization that supports health professionals who research ADHD, treat and support people diagnosed with ADHD, and trains professionals. In the ‘Public Info’ section of their website, you’ll find more information on adult ADHD and the assessment process. You’ll also find extensive resources and recommended publications. 
 The Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada provides education and advocacy for Canadians who experience ADHD. They have a section on their website for adults, including information on symptoms and assessments, treatments, ADHD in the workplace, resources, and a reading list. 
 CHADD Vancouver offers a monthly support group for adults in the Vancouver area.
Question: What’s the difference between substance use and addiction?
Answer: People tend to use the word “addiction” to mean very different things. “I am addicted to shopping” might mean only that the speaker likes to shop. On the other hand, “He is addicted” might mean the speaker thinks the other person is completely unable to control his own behaviour. When people use the word about psychoactive (mind-altering) substances like alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, they often assume these drugs are dangerous and have the power to control human behaviour. 
 The evidence, however, suggests a quite different picture. While substance use can clearly contribute to health and social problems, substances can be beneficial for some people in some situations. Many people celebrate a special occasion with a nice glass of wine, for example. Some people use tobacco as a powerful symbol in cultural and spiritual ceremonies. In fact, substances have been used by humans throughout history for many reasons: to feel good, to feel better, to improve performance, for cultural/spiritual reasons, and to have new experiences. 
 Substance use is more complicated than just “good” or “bad.” It’s helpful to think of substance use along a continuum, from beneficial use to harmful use. Along the middle of the continuum, substance use may be both beneficial and harmful. You have an enjoyable night out with friends, but feel a little ill the next day. At the far end of the continuum, some people develop dependence—they need to continually use the drug in order to feel normal and will keep using even when that leads to financial difficulties, problems at home or at work, health problems, or legal problems. 
 In general, substance use is a problem when it causes problems for you or others—and how much use causes problems will be different for different people in different situations. The reason a person uses a substance influences the risk of developing problems. For instance, if a person uses a substance to have fun, only occasional social use may follow. But when a person uses a substance to cope with a long-term problem such as social anxiety, then more long lasting and intense use may follow. Managing our risk involves being aware of why we are using and what impacts our use is having on ourselves and those around us. The wisdom of our ancestors suggests a guiding principle—not too much, not too often, and only in safe contexts.
Question: How can I find help for an alcohol or drug use problem?
Answer: Seeking to make changes in the way you use substances like alcohol or other drugs? This can be an important step! 
 Some people are able to reduce their substance use or quit altogether on their own or with self-help materials. But most of us need support from other people—family members, friends, health professionals, or other people struggling with substance use problems. The right help for you depends on many factors. These include the type of drug you are using, how much and how often, your health and social situation and, of course, your own preferences. Getting help doesn’t mean giving up control of shaping your own path. You are still the one who makes the final decisions about the type and degree of change you make. 
 One way to get help is to talk to a doctor you trust and feel comfortable confiding in. If you aren’t comfortable talking in person, you can also get advice from a registered nurse (along with advice on programs or services in your area) by calling HealthLink BC at 8-1-1. Since some drugs are illegal, many people worry about what might happen if they talk about drug use. It’s important to know that in most cases, doctors have to protect your privacy—it’s the law. 
 In BC, the Alcohol and Drug Information Referral Service can help you find information on treatment options, support groups and other resources throughout the province. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7. Call the Alcohol and Drug Information Referral Service at 1-800-663-1441 or 604-660-9382 in the Lower Mainland.
Question: If cannabis is dangerous, why are we legalizing it?
Answer: Cannabis smoke, for example, contains cancer-causing toxins. However, the risk of developing some cancers (e.g., mouth, tongue and lung) is less for cannabis smokers than tobacco smokers, partly because they tend to smoke less than tobacco users. And, while all drugs have an effect on the brain, the particular properties of the drug influence the level of risk of harmful consequences. The negative effects of cannabis on the brain, for example, seem to be less than the effects of some substances such as alcohol. 
 Legalizing cannabis provides an opportunity to put in place regulations to minimize potential harms. The danger of buying and using any illegal drug is that we can never know for sure what exactly is in it. Cannabis is legal in Canada as of October 17, 2018. Adults (over age 19 in BC) are now permitted to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis in public. Cannabis is regulated by the Province of British Columbia and will be sold through the Liquor Distribution Branch. Cannabis will be tested for quality. 
 When drugs are produced and obtained inside a regulated system, it is possible for us to know about the contents and dosage of what we are taking. This helps us manage the risks. However, it is likely that cannabis will still be available outside the government system. It is important to know that the quality of cannabis obtained from a dealer or a friend is unknown and may contain contaminants like mold, mildew, or fillers that may be toxic. 
 The legalization of cannabis also provides us with openings to engage in honest and thoughtful discussions about drug use with our families and communities. When dealing with complex issues, like cannabis policy, no one has all the answers. But as community members, we all have thoughts, feelings and experiences around drugs and drug use to share with each other. Engaging together to explore and share ideas will help us discover how to manage use, as individuals and communities, in ways that maximize benefit and minimize harm. 
 The Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, formerly CARBC, is a member of the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information. The institute is dedicated to the study of substance use in support of community-wide efforts aimed at providing all people with access to healthier lives, whether using substances or not. For more, visit www.cisur.ca.
Question: How can I convince my kids not to use drugs?
Answer: You can't. But you can influence their capacity to make good choices in a world where alcohol and other drugs are available. It's about helping your child develop the skills to assess what might be helpful in achieving their goals in life. It's also about nourishing a supportive relationship, so they know where to go with questions or problems. 
 Opening up a discussion about drugs can help strengthen your relationship with your child. Inviting and allowing open, honest conversation about drugs (or any other subject) makes your child know that what they are thinking, feeling and experiencing matters to you. The goal is to get your child talking and sharing their thoughts and feelings. 
 When young people are asked thoughtful, open-ended questions exploring what they think, it helps them become interested in their own thoughts and behaviour. This process of self-reflection is part of developing critical thinking skills, a part of good decision-making. Critical thinking skills are actually an essential part of reducing the risks related to using drugs. Once young people have considered something carefully, they are a lot less likely to act out of impulse or in response to influence. 
 There is no rule about how or where a conversation about alcohol or other drugs should start. Even young children know drugs are a part of our culture. They see people drinking around them and are exposed to drugs on TV and in advertising. This makes it a subject that can be brought up naturally while getting ready for a family celebration where alcohol will be present, or if you are planning to visit a relative who uses tobacco, or while swapping stories at the dinner table about what happened at work and school that day. 
 Talking with teens and young adults about drugs as they make choices on the path into adulthood helps them to develop personal standards, minimize risks and critically assess popular beliefs about drug use. This can be particularly important as they transition to the legal age for using alcohol or cannabis and move out of the family home. While young adults have more independence and more legal rights, parents can continue to be an important sounding board on which to try out their thoughts and ideas. 
 The Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, formerly CARBC, is a member of the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information. The institute is dedicated to the study of substance use in support of community-wide efforts aimed at providing all people with access to healthier lives, whether using substances or not. For more, visit www.cisur.ca.